"Animals at Work in White House History" NEW Issue of White House History Quarterly

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House Historical Association has released the 76th issue of its award-winning magazine White House History Quarterly: "Animals at Work in White House History."

"White House history is a place where friends are long remembered, and among the most popular of those friends are the hard-working animals. In the nineteenth century presidential households relied on horsepower to function, but working animals, from dairy cows to honeybees, have also enriched life at the White House. With this issue of the Quarterly, we turn to some of everyone's favorite chapters in White House history, beginning with the American bald eagle, now officially our national symbol." —Marcia Anderson, Editor White House History Quarterly

Features in this issue include:

• A JOB TO DO: Animals at Work in White House History – Marcia Anderson
  
  
• THE ANIMAL ENVOY Animals Given to the White House – Elizabeth Margaret Rees shares the role of animals in diplomacy. Through such examples as pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, Rees explains that "the giving of animals is an expression of national culture and of goodwill."
  
  
• SHEEP ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN – Rebecca Boggs Roberts takes us back to World War I when a picturesque and growing flock of sheep made their home inside the White House fence, keeping the lawns trimmed and saving on manpower, to help in the war effort. So appreciated was the work of the sheep that bids on their wool reached record highs at auctions for the benefit of the Red Cross. A sample is prominently displayed at the Woodrow Wilson House today.
  
  
• PAULINE WAYNE III The Most Famous Cow in America – Author Jonathan Pliska details how Pauline Wayne III, calved on July 15, 1906, and officially registered as number 115580 with the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, quickly became the most famous cow in America after she arrived at the White House to keep the household of President William Howard Taft supplied with fresh milk and butter. The press and the public were obsessed with her every move, but Pliska makes it clear that she preferred to be left alone.
  
  
• A "ROYAL" CAT FOR THE WHITE HOUSE The Story of Siam – Lauren McGwin shares an account of Siam, the first Siamese cat in America and a gift to First Lady Lucy Hayes in 1879. After crossing the Pacific Ocean by ship and America by train, Siam was described as affectionate and appreciative and intent on following Mrs. Hayes throughout the White House. McGwin reveals that her story ended too soon and with a mystery that may one day be solved.
  
  
• FROM THE ARCHIVES Liberty Ford at Work Answering the Mail with Her "Paw-tograph" – And, with our Quarterly archival feature, Brittney Meadors shares a "paw-tograph" made by President Gerald R. Ford's golden retriever Liberty, who set to work answering the mail by signing photographs with her own ink-covered paw.
  
  
• DOGGONE IT Noteworthy Presidential Media Hounds – Colleen Shogan explains that even the first family pets can have jobs to do at the White House. With her article on "media hounds," Shogan looks at the "first dogs" who made history as presidents capitalized on their pets' popularity through media messaging. A favorite subject of White House reporters, these "first dogs" have made appearances in the Press Room, been featured in campaign materials, written books, and starred in films.
  
  
• PRESIDENTIAL SITES FEATURE Goats at Work: A Natural Approach to Fire Prevention at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library – For our Presidential Sites Quarterly Feature we go to the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, where wildfires are a continual threat to the facility. Jessie Kratz explains how thousands of brush-clearing goats have been put to work in an annual program to help mitigate that threat.
  
  
• REFECTIONS On Continuity and Companionship in the White House – Stewart D. McLaurin closes the issue with reflections on "Continuity and Companionship" while remembering a few of the "first pets" he has known.

This 88-page issue of White House History Quarterly retails for $12.95. To purchase a single issue, visit shop.whitehousehistory.org. 

To subscribe to White House History Quarterly, visit whitehousehistoryjournal.org.

About The White House Historical Association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion's legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association's mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org. 

SOURCE The White House Historical Association